Diabetic Neuropathy is a Real Pain to Live With

Sometimes it will wake you up in the middle of the night. You'd swear that someone sneaked into your room and stabbed you in the top of the foot with a sharp knife. Other times it's like a "pins and needles" feeling on the side of your foot or it could be on one of your toes. It might be in several places at one time, or just in a certain area. I'm talking about diabetic neuropathy.

Scientists aren't 100% sure what the mechanism of diabetic neuropathy is, but they suggest several causes. The main one is probably high blood glucose from uncontrolled diabetes. There could be damage to the nerves from a decreased blood supply which is often seen in long-term diabetes. Some have suggested autoimmune factors that may cause the nerves to become inflamed. And finally, there could be mechanical reasons like nerve compression that is seen in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Everyone who has it or has ever had it will agree that it's a pain. It can interrupt your activities and keep you from sleeping at night. In advanced stages it can even affect your muscles and make it difficult for you to walk. So what can you do if you have diabetic neuropathy? According to CNN Health:

"The first and most important step is to control your diabetes." Sometimes that can even bring the pain down to a tolerable level. A lot of cases of diabetic nerve pain comes and goes. You might just get a slight twinge some days but on others it's hardly bearable. Some patients have told me that it's triggered by tight shoes, walking, or standing for long periods of time.

Bear in mind that your feet are one of the most common areas that you can get diabetic nerve pain, but it's not the only place. You can also get it in your hands, arms, legs, and even your genitals. It can affect your digestion, urinary tract, and your sex life. One man told me that he had it on different areas of his skin and it felt just like he had a severe sunburn. At one point he had to sleep in several inches of water in the bathtub.

A lot of different drugs are used to treat the pain of diabetic neuropathy, but over-the-counter pain medications don't really help and can have serious side effects. The categories of drugs that are used to treat diabetic nerve pain include: antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and opiods like controlled-release oxycodone and Ultram.

Topical treatments help some people. Capsaicin cream contains the stuff that makes peppers hot and has been shown to help in some cases. Biofreeze is a gel that contains menthol and a plant that the pacific islanders use to treat pain. It is usually used for arthritis, but it can also help diabetic nerve pain.

Other treatments include: Acupuncture, biofeedback, and physical therapy. Acupuncture, electrical stimulation, magnetic therapy, and laser has also been used with varying degrees of success.

Source: http://inhealth.cnn.com/managing-diabetic-nerve-pain/treatment-for-diabetic-neuropathies?did=t1_rss1&hpt=he_bn7